The War of The Grove
Nearly 500 years ago, The Groves were mature and strong. There were many portals that connected the Feywilds to the Material Plane. However, the forest had an enemy, a large red dragon named Zelgorasz who had a deep seething hatred of Fey creatures. Zelgorasz set fire to the forest and sent his followers to kill the fey of the forest and any portals that led to the Feywilds. Alamin, the Goddess of Nature and Fertility, saw this happening to her beloved children and the forest she had created, and so she brought for a protector, known as Moss Root. Together, with the help of Moss Root, the elves, and the fey of the forest, Zelgorasz was defeated. Alamin began to create the forest anew, and bring about a peaceful time in the land that lasted for over 200 years. Then, about 270 years ago Moss Root was still the protector of The Groves (later named Feywood Forest and often referred to as Deep Root Forest). Moss Root believed that the forest should remain pure and untouched by human-kind. So it was that the forest looked at any human-kind as an enemy of the forest. Hunters and gatherers were pushed out of The Groves and into other near-by forests. Many tried to reason with Moss Root, but it was to no avail. The orcs held the city of Frostphire, the mines had yet to be discovered there. Instead, they wanted to poach the forest for it's strong lumber and endless resources. Moss Root sent her fighters to ward off these orcs, but still they persisted. Fires were set to the woods, traps laid out to lure the rangers and scouts of the woods. It was when one of Moss Roots commanders, Grest, was slaughtered by the orcs and his head put on a pike that Moss Root took further action. Moss Root sent her troops out of the forests' edge. There, the druids created brambles and thick vines and thorned-thickets. This made the forest impenetrable. An orc general known as U'sov Gristlebane led his troops to a set of caverns that had been discovered. There, they found entry to the Underdark and that it led straight under the forest. U'sov prepared for a grand battle, they would unleash a surprise attack on Moss Root at the heart of the forest. Nearly 20,000 orcs went down into the Underdark where they fought their way to the center of the forest. Moss Root, never suspecting anything was set on fire and slaughtered by the orcs. The elves, druids, and fey of The Grove fought back, but it was the leadership of the Lord of the Green that gave them the advantage.After word got out about the forest, Abonton sent it's troops and together the orcs were wiped clean except for a few who choose to stay in the Underdark of the forest and live off of the resources. From Moss Root's body, a seedling was salvaged and grown into what is now known as Deep Root.